Fletcher PR, a marketing firm specializing in marketing to women, created this public awareness campaign

FletcherPR has been using its expertise in marketing to women to design a public awareness campaign for the Knox County Health Department aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy and STI’s (sexually transmitted infections). According to the Center for Disease Control, nearly 60 percent of girls talk to their moms about sex but less than 10 percent have that same discussion with their dad. We're not leaving boys out of the equation, but research reports that mothers often assume the primary responsibility for sexual instruction of both their male and female adolescents. So when it comes down to talking to your kids about sex, sending the right marketing messages to women is important.

As the mother of a 14-year old boy, sex education hits particularly close to home. While conducting research for this campaign, here are just a few of the stunning things I’ve learned:

 Approximately 1 in 3 Knox County 9th graders have already had sex

 1 in 4 teens in the U.S. has an STI

 Some teen girls believe that if you do jumping jacks after sex it will prevent you from getting pregnant

You better believe I’ve taken the time to talk to my son about sex after all that I’ve learned. You should too. Mybodymyfuture.com is a great resource for tips on how to talk to your teens about sex and a safe place to send your kids to get their questions answered. If you want to stay informed, consider subscribing to the blog or “Like” the Facebook page for updates.

Perhaps you’ve seen the “Let’s Talk about Sex” billboards around town or the PSA running prior to every PG, PG-13 and R rated movie in Regal Cinemas. I encourage you to take a moment to review these resources, and make it a priority to talk to your child about sex. Teenage pregnancy knows no boundaries—any one of us could become grandparents before our time. So let’s talk about sex. It’s really not all that difficult once you start the conversation.